The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1887-02-05

trade tariff of 1916 was 80 beneficial th"'
MIR. Blaine himself, the principal leader OF
pro,ectionists, admits 1t converted even the
protec,ionis themselves 10 the doctrine OF
free trade,
Mr.. Trimole speaks of the high prices
that ruled under the democratic low nrin
Of 1913" We admit that prices ruled high
then; they rose at once decidedly. They
rose not because II was low tariff, but be-
cause It WAS an intensely proteNtce tdriD'
the ou,prowth of the Wing "hard cider
Icoonskin and log cabin halucination OF
1870 The protective tariff of ls43 forced
prices up-the free trade tariff OF 1916
forced them down. The Morrill, protective
tariff of 1891 forced them up again. II II
WAS no, the expectation that tariff would
force prices of goods consumed ur, where
| il e ere u protectionist that would Goto the
expense of keeping II lobby at Washington
to maintain intact the high protective sys'
tenn Certainly he would not do so II he
believed II would force prices down.
Improved methods of production VIII
cheaper product under any system, and
when through such improvement prices
are forced down, it IS no, icc0Rso Of protec'
ton, but Ia spite of protection The Irst
steel rails made cost more than thouss'd
dollars per ton. improvement IN the meth
cd of making them brought the price
down to one hundred and sixty dollars, and
at that figure they began TO enter general
use. Our tariff Of twenty-eight dollars per
ton KEEP, them that much higher here all
the time than they would have been,
though improved methods of production
cheapened them constantly. The cheap
ening process went on faster in England
under free trade than here under protection,
and rs q result foreign free trade forced
prices here down 80 that it was, despite the
tariff of twenty eight dollars per ton, I'm.
possible to keep the price over twenty
eigh. dollars, plus freights, higher than 1t
was In England. And Though the mills
pooled and combined here, and made every
attempt possible to hold the price of rails
at one hundred dollars per ton--even going
so far as to hire many mills 10 shut down,
Il las of no avail. When in the open mar
ket, under free trade, they fell to fifty dol.
lars per ton, the Englisnman paid his
twenty eight dollars tariff and three dollars
freight, and sold in our markets for eighty.
one dollars, and no combination here could
keep our domestic made rails above that
figure, or If 1t did 1t gave the foreigners
the market.
| When steel rails we're made for twenty
eight dollars per ton, under free trade, the
foreigner paid his seventeen dollars duty
the duty had been reduced to seventeen
dollars and three dollars freight and sold
them in our markets for forty dollars, The
effect of this was 10 force the rolling mill
barons Of this country 70 reduce the price
Iof their rails 10 thirty eight dollars per ton,
in order TO save to themselves a home MAJ.
ket To do this every means was res0rted
10. The Vulcan Iron Works, of ST. Louis,
was paid seventy thousand dollars each
year % not run, and other mills in like pro-
portion. Combination after combination
was made to keep prices up by this pro-
tactel industry, but still comparative free
trade steadily forced them down.
Yet in the face of all this Mr.. James says
that at the expense of temporary high
prices, protection has given us permanently
cheapened product" He says, look
around you and see how much cheaper
steel rails are under protection than under
free trade" when at this very time they
can be bought in bond in New York for
twenty dollars per ton, which Is the COM
parative free trade price. But as to this
price must be added seventeen dollars of
tariff and three dollars of freight, the price
of foreign rails is kept at forty dollars, and
through the price being kept up through
this IN cans TO that point the domestic rails
are placed at thirty eight dollars, just
enough 10 undersell them. Is it not the
outside pressure caused by the cLeapness
of foreign rails, and not protection that
cheapens rails here, Nj protectionist Z:
Certainly.
Again, We import forty million dollars
worth of manufactured wOOlens year,
which pay duty of thirty millions. This
makes them cost the American consumer
seventy millions. They are sold In the
open market side by side with American
manufacture. Under comparative free
trade they would cost the American con.
sumer forty millions Under protection
| they cost him seventy See how proteC-
tive tariff Cheapens clothiuIl That cloth.
ing Is cheaper now than it was thirty years
, ago cuts no figure. We import Int one.
fifth of the woolens We use, and that one
= fifth costs us thirty millions If dollars be.
I cause of protection. The five tifths, or our
whole product, costs us one hundred and
, fifty millions Of dollars more than II would
| If il was not for protection And were II